Double Take
by Yutaka no Kida
Summary: Ichiru and Chikane are forced to leave their home and live with the Sohmas, who share the same curse. Which family will end up on top? HatorixOC
1. News

Title: Double-Take (previously "Glass Hearts")

Author: Yukata no Kida

Characters/Pairing: Sohma Hatori & OC

Genre: Romance & Humor

Word Count: 1,145

Rating: T (contains swearing)

Disclaimer: Fruits Basket belongs to Natsuki Takaya-sensei. I only own the OCs.

Started on: 8/01/09

Finished on: 10/23/10 (EDITED)

A/N: Rewritten. Well, mostly.

Reviews = Love :heart:

Short, pale blonde hair stuck to a girl's slender face as the rain pelted down on her. Even though she was under a large oak tree, she wasn't in the least bit dry. In fact, it was raining so hard, it was difficult to see through her onyx goggles. Her dark blue-grey eyes were closed as she leaned against the tree, every bit aware of the terrible storm taking place.

She sighed to herself. The rain seemed to calm her down, even though it was starting to hail now. The hard pellets almost tore through her outfit: a black hoodie much to big for her small figure, the hood pulled over her head, and a pair of baggy jeans. She figured that these clothes would hide her form, so she wore them without hesitation.

She was _truly_ female, but she always acted as a male to protect her family's secret. On her mother's side, the Sakuragis, there lays a curse, set upon 12 unfortunate children, where whenever they were hugged by a person of a different sex, or when they were extremely stressed, they would turn into their given zodiac animal. There was the rat, the ox, the dog, the monkey, the bird, the snake, the dragon, the tiger, the ram, the boar, the rabbit, the horse, and the most despised out of them all, the cat. The one who was born to set peace between the zodiac members and rule over them was called "God".

The girl, Arashi Ichiru, was unfortunately cursed with the spirit of the cat. Her twin sister, Chikane, was cursed with the spirit of the rabbit.

"Ichiru! Ichiru!" a voice called in the distance, almost completely drowned out by the rain.

Ichiru turned her head, being able to hear the voice, only to see the said sister of hers running over to her. Her waist-length, blond hair was plastered to her pale skin and the white sundress clung to her small figure.

Chikane's bare feet glided over the wet grass as she sprinted to her twin.

"Ichiru! Ken-chan's looking for you," Chikane said, out of breath. Ichiru glanced at her, worriedly.

She remained silent until, with a fluid movement, she slid out of her jacket and put it on Chikane's shoulders. Without her jacket, Ichiru's chest was visible, hidden expertly by bandages.

"Don't run out here like that. You'll catch a cold," she said bluntly, not minding the hail pellets hitting her own bare shoulders.

Chikane would've blushed in embarrassment if she weren't so cold. She simply pouted and continued, "Ichiru, Dad wanted to tell you something. Apparently, it's important."

Their father, Arashi Kentaro. Ichiru referred to him by his first name, not caring to even respect the man. He had shoulder-length, golden hair that he would always put back into a ponytail, and deep brown eyes. He was handsome, you couldn't deny it. Kentaro worked as a manga-ka(1) with a fairly popular manga series.

Chikane didn't know why Ichiru was so distant towards him, and she hoped she'd never figure out. Chikane had always been their father's favorite. He didn't even hide it. Ichiru was never jealous, though, because she would rather have anything than his attention. She knew she loved him deep down, but she couldn't help but want to slap the man silly. Heck, she'd even wrestle with him when she had the chance.

Ichiru always seemed to have her mother's attention, though. Sakuragi Kaede was her mother's maiden name. She was a beautiful woman. She had wavy, dyed black hair and, oddly, electric blue eyes. In her teenage years, she was a model for a local department store.

Kaede was always happy, Ichiru remembered. A bit of a ditz, really. She never cried and tried to make the best of things. When she was first diagnosed with her illness, it was shocking for everyone to see such a strong person become so weak. She died a year later with a gentle smile on her face.

"Come on, Ii'ru," Chikane said as she took Ichiru's hand and started making her way across the wet grass, to the Sakuragi household. _Ii'ru, _Ichiru thought, _that was the nickname Mom gave me when I was little._

Ever since Kaede died, Kentaro, Ichiru, and Chikane had moved into the Sakuragi compound(2). The leader of the Sakuragis, "God", if you will, had ordered Kentaro to bring Ichiru and Chikane to live in the Sakuragi compound where they could make sure nobody figures out about the curse. Due to Mashiro's, "God's", good mood recently, they were able to live "outside". Meaning they weren't as close as those who lived "inside", but they were close enough to contact.

After a few minutes of sprinting through the grassy field, they could just barely make out the blurry shape of their home. Only Ichiru, however, was able to make out the blurry figure of Kentaro waiting on the porch. As they got closer, she could also see his aggravated expression and his tapping foot.

As soon as Kentaro saw them, his face lighted up and he waved.

"Ii'ru-chaaaan~ Chii-chaaaan," he called.

Ichiru felt her eye twitch and she sighed. Quickly, still in motion, she picked up Chikane bridal-style. Without having someone in front of her, or dragging her along, she picked up the pace. When she got there, Ichiru hadn't noticed that Kentaro had gone into the house and brought out some dry towels.

She set Chikane on her feet and shook her head, violently, trying to get it somewhat dry. Kentaro watched her in amusement while Chikane sneezed. "You two dry off and get changed, then meet me in the dining room."

Chikane nodded and sneezed again while Kentaro gave them each a towel and walked into the house. Ichiru glanced at Kentaro's retreating figure.

_What could be so important? Chikane may not have noticed it, but he seemed… tense_, Ichiru thought, curiously.

::An hour later::

Chikane and Ichiru faced Kentaro while kneeling across from him at the kotatsu(3). Chikane had changed into a white, long sleeved nightgown and had pulled her hair into two messy braids that fell over her shoulders, while Ichiru changed into a red jacket and some shorts.

"So? You had something to say to us, Ken-chan?" Ichiru asked, honestly curious. He thought for a minute and looked back up to them.

"Well, it seems Mashiro has come across a second family with our curse," He said, thoughtfully, trying to put his thoughts into words. "And he… wants you to go live with them. Apparently, they're in this area, too."

Ichiru looked at him shocked, "We're moving, _again_?"

"Um, no. I have to stay here. Just you two are leaving," he noticed Chikane's sad expression, "but you'll be alright! I've been told about everyone there. It sounds like you'll be very content with the Sohmas."

(1) creator of a manga or manga series

(2) a grouping of houses. The people who reside in these homes are usually related.

(3) It's a bit difficult to explain, so I'll copy the description from Shugo Chara! volume 7.

"A _kotatsu_ is a table with a blanket over it and a heat generator attached to it. It's used to keep one's feet warm."


	2. Moving

Title: Double-Take (previously "Glass Hearts")

Author: Yukata no Kida

Characters/Pairing: Hatori Sohma & OC

Genre: Romance & Humor

Word Count: 1,441

Rating: T (contains swearing)

Disclaimer: Fruits Basket belongs to Natsuki Takaya-sensei. I only own the OCs.

Started on: 1/19/10

Finished on: 10/22/10 ((Sorry))

A/N: LATE UPDATE IS LATE OTL;;

I fail as a writer, frsrsly.

Kentaro raised an eyebrow at his daughters. "Eh? Is something wrong?" he asked. Ichiru pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed, "Do you mean Sohma, as in Shigure Sohma?" Kentaro nodded innocently as Ichiru head-desked. "He, Sohma-san, is the writer of several dirty novels," she said, her head still resting on the table. Kentaro folded his arms and nodded, "I know." Ichiru raised her head to look incredulously at him.

"Yup," he said, "In fact, I own a few myself." Chikane and Ichiru gaped at their father, "What?" He nodded, a proud expression on his face. Ichiru threw a plastic container- she had found it on the table- at his head, "You dirty old geezer…" Chikane bonked Kentaro's head repeatedly, "Waa! Bad Ken-chan!" Kentaro whined, folding his arms over his head. Chikane continued to hit her father and Ichiru silently watched, amused.

::NextWeek::

Hatori slipped out of his car and walked to the front door of the house. He sighed and pushed his glasses farther up on his nose. The car honked loudly and a high-pitched voice called out to him. "Ha'ri~ Hayaku(1)~!" Shigure sang.

Hatori sighed once again and knocked on the door. Crashes and angry mutters were heard, and someone groaned in aggravation. "What the hell," he heard, amazed. Another crash was heard and light footsteps grew louder, advancing toward the door.

Suddenly, the door slid open, revealing a young girl. Her cobalt blue eyes were tired and her waist-length blond hair was held in two thick, messy braids that cascaded down her shoulders. She wore a plain white t-shirt and faded jean-shorts. Smiling, she bowed politely.

Hatori glanced down at her, "Is this the Arashi household?"

The girl looked confused, "Ah, I'm sorry; this is- Wait, no! It is! I'm so sorry!(2)" She blushed and welcomed Hatori. He slid out of his shoes and followed her down into a hall. She led him into a small room where two other people were packing things into cardboard boxes. "Ken-chan," she said, "We have a visitor."

The man she was speaking to raised his head and his eyes flashed with recognition. "Sohma-san, glad to see you!" He bowed slightly and then ran a hand through his blonde hair, his deep brown eyes scanning the room. "Sorry about the mess, we're running a bit late," he continued, looking to the blonde from earlier and the other person in the room, "Ii'ru, Chii! This is the man you'll be living with."

Both girls stared at him with mild interest. The girl from before walked up to him and bowed, "My name is Chikane. Yoroshikuonegaishimasu(3)." She smiled brightly and bowed once more. The other person wiped their hands on their jeans and made their way to Hatori. "I'm Ichiru," she (judging by her voice) greeted. Hatori muttered a low "Yoroshiku" to both of the girls. Ichiru bowed shortly next to her sister, and then returned to the boxes. Chikane smiled again and followed her twin.

"We're almost done," Kentaro said, watching his daughters work. "It's fine," Hatori sighed, hearing Shigure call out for him. Kentaro rubbed his wrists for a moment, seeming deep in thought. "Ah, whatever," he said to himself. He snapped, getting his daughters' attention, "Girls, go with Hatori; I'll bring the rest of your things to you two later."

Ichiru strode over to her twin, dragging her up the stairs. The girls came back moments later, each with two suitcases under their arms.

Hatori swiftly took one of the bags from under Chikane's arm and the girl stuttered a quiet "thanks", blushing madly. Ichiru was already outside putting her bags in the trunk of Hatori's car. When she came back in, her face was horrorstruck.

"No way in _hell_ am I going to be housing with that _thing _in the car," she growled.

Hatori nodded, understanding her completely. "It's fine. Shigure lives in a different house than I do," he said. Ichiru heaved out a sigh in relief.

Kentaro ruffled his daughters' hair and pushed them towards Hatori. Ichiru, as expected, regained her balance, while Chikane fell into Hatori's arms. Ichiru sighed, waiting for the '_poof_', but it never happened. Kentaro laughed (almost-)guiltily, watching his poor daughter gaze up at the man that caught her.

The older of the twins remembered when their father had mentioned that Hatori and his family had shared the same curse as them. Ichiru smirked, covering her own mouth with a long sleeve, muffling any oncoming snickers.

Chikane blushed and apologized profusely, stepping back and bowing at the waist. Hatori nodded in acknowledgement and glanced up at the girls' father. His face held a sheepish grin, one resembling the impish expression a child would make after breaking another precious vase. "Well girls, I suppose I'll see you both tomorrow," he said smiling. Kentaro looked towards Hatori and smiled softly, "Please take care of my girls."

He turned to Chikane and kissed her forehead before glancing at Ichiru. The older of the twins was wringing her wrists nervously. Kentaro patted her head and whispered into her ear, "Take care of your sister, alright?" Chikane wanted to embrace her father, but didn't because of her curse. The twins said their goodbyes and followed Hatori out to his car.

As Hatori opened up the trunk of his car, he felt something tugging at his sleeve. He looked down to see Ichiru, a grimace implanted into her delicate features. She shuddered visibly, "Can't we leave that thing here?"

Hatori would've approved. "As much as I'd like to, we can't," he said, almost smiling. The girl groaned before she went to help Chikane who was trying to lift up one of her sister's suitcases (and failing miserably, mind you).

"Haaaaaaaa'riiiiiiiii~ Hurry up~!" Shigure whined. He honked the horn several (blaring) times, scaring Chikane half-to-death and causing Hatori's and Ichiru's heads to throb violently. The three of them gathered into the small car: the twins in the back, and Hatori in the driver's seat.

Ichiru, during the entire ride, wanted nothing more than to shove her fist down the obnoxious Shigure's throat. She had threatened to do it several times, too. The raven-haired annoyance had been sexually harassing Chikane since the moment she had put her seatbelt on. The harassment had seemed to have left the poor girl's face a permanent shade of burgundy. Chikane's twin, on the other hand, seemed to have an eternal death-glare directed towards Shigure.

Hatori was driving as safely as he could. Well, as safe as possible with a pedophile, his victim, and his sworn-enemy all in the same vehicle. He groaned inwardly, seeing as how he still had another hour left of driving before he could drop said pedophile off at his home.

Why him?

::Later that Evening::

Ichiru and Chikane were had been shown to their new rooms and were currently unpacking their belongings. It was past six, so Hatori decided that he and the girls would go out for dinner. He knocked on each of their doors before telling them both to dress decently.

Minutes later, Ichiru came into the living room, dressed similarly to what she was wearing before. A navy blue, zip-up fleece adorned her torso and dark, worn-out jeans covered her legs. The only things different about her appearance were the black bobby-pins that held her long blonde bangs to the side and a pair of black-rimmed glasses.

Ichiru seemed to have noticed the man staring because she turned away from him, covering her right eye with her palm. "My contacts were bothering me," she muttered, cursing mentally at the deep, unwanted color that painted across her cheeks.

Chikane walked into the room at that moment, glancing back and forth between her sister and Hatori. _Ichiru never blushes, _she thought curiously.

She wore a white, form-fitting sundress that ended a few centimeters above her knees. The dress didn't have any sleeves, so the blonde covered her bare shoulders with a sleek, onyx jacket. She tapped Ichiru's shoulder as she walked gracefully to Hatori. Ichiru grunted acknowledgingly.

Hatori looked at both of the girls, mentally noting their differences. Ichiru had darker blue-grey eyes, while Chikane had brighter cobalt eyes. Ichiru had seemed to cut her hair as short as a boy's would be while Chikane had long, flowing blonde tresses. He also noted how Ichiru stood a bit taller than Chikane. Physically, these girls were fairly different.

He sighed, realizing the girls he had just been analyzing now stood in front of him, waiting.

"Where would you like to go eat?" he asked, feeling neutral about the whole ordeal.

The girls' eyes lighted up.

"Ootoro(4)~!"

(1) "Hurry up!" (a child-like way of saying it)

(2) Both Ichiru and Chikane usually go by their mother's last name, Sakuragi, because of the zodiac curse being on her side.

(3) "I ask for your kindness and regard."

(4) Fatty tuna on sushi rice.

Reviews are, as always, loved~ :heart:


	3. New Home?

Title: Double-Take (previously "Glass Hearts")

Author: Yukata no Kida

Characters/Pairing: Hatori Sohma & OC

Genre: Romance & Humor

Word Count: 1,065 ((They're getting shorter and shorter, I swear;;))

Rating: T (contains swearing)

Disclaimer: Fruits Basket belongs to Natsuki Takaya-sensei. I only own the OCs.

Started on: 10/28/10

Finished on: 11/01/10

A/N: Nngh, I don't deserve you guys;;

Hurrah to Hatori's OOCness~

Please enjoy~!

Ichiru's POV

"She's so kawaii(1)~!"

_I'm gonna punch him._

"C'mon, Chii-chan. Smile~!"

_I'm really gonna punch him._

"Are you sure she's in high school, Ii'ru? She's so short~"

_**CRIK.**_

Cue bowl of hot rice to Shigure's face.

"That… ow. That hurt, Ii'ru."

"Kyahahaha! Kowai, kowai(2)~!"

"You deserved it. And don't call me that."

Today just _happened_ to be one of the idiots Shigure and Ayame's weekly visits. The two arrived minutes after Hatori left to tend to Akito. I was beginning to think that they did this on purpose. _Wait, no. They couldn't be that smart, _I thought, grimacing.

I headdesked, groaning into the wooden surface of the kotatsu(3).

"Don't you think you could visit another time? Ya'know… when Hatori's here?" I suggested, looking up tiredly and resting my chin on the table.

"Of course we'll visit again, Ii'ru~! I didn't know that you enjoyed our presence this much! Did you hear that, Gure-san~?" Ayame sang. The silver-haired man immediately came to my side and clung to my torso, nuzzling my cheek.

"This isn't what I meant," I mumbled, feeling around for his pressure points. I knew that I hit a few of the fairly hard ("Kyahaha! Ii'ru! That tickles~!"), but they seemed to have no effect whatsoever. Pushing the snake off of me, I gave the other idiot Shigure a hard look.

"So, _Gure-nii_," I grumbled, "is there any reason you came to torture me and my sister?"

Shigure giggled like the schoolgirls he admired (-coughstalkedcough-) so much.

"Because Ha'ri isn't here!"

I deadpanned.

"That's illegal."

"Is it now?"

"A-Ano(4)… it's nice having guests, though."

We all looked towards Chikane who chose the worst time to intervene.

I think I saw a twinkle in Shigure's eyes.

"That's so kind of you, Chii-chan~!"

"Yes! Whenever you feel in need of a brotherly figure, you can always confide in me!"

"GET OUT OF OUR HOUSE."

I sighed, leaning against the wall of my bedroom. Hatori returned home to find Ayame using Chikane's lap as a pillow, and Shigure using her back as something to lay against. Really, these men have no conscience. I'm just glad that he didn't come through the back door that opened to the kitchen. If he had, he would've probably seen me scanning his various knives and other sharp items.

Although it might seem unlikely, Hatori is an insanely good cook. According to Shigure, his cooking nearly rivaled with Honda-san's. Honestly, I had never tasted Honda-san's cooking, so I could care less. Hatori's cooking was enough for me. It was almost like Kaede was alive again.

Sliding down to the floor, I began to think a bit about Hatori. His ebony hair that fell over one lilac-colored(5) eye was very attractive, I had to admit. From what I had learned from Shigure and Ayame's constant teasing, Hatori was the dragon of the zodiac. I tried asking him about it, but he avoided the subject completely.

I had also learned in the month I had lived here that Hatori was in his late twenties- twenty-six, I believe. He, Ayame, and Shigure all had gone to the same high school together. From what I've heard, they had been called the "Mabudachi Trio".

But, for some reason, whenever I looked up at Hatori or just stood even just a _little bit_ too close to him, he seemed so melancholy. I noticed this and tried to distance myself a bit, but found it somewhat hard. I couldn't help myself.

I was attracted to Hatori.

I felt kind of bad for admitting to it, considering our age difference of ten years. Then again, Kentaro and Kaede shared an age difference of seven years. It couldn't be all that bad, right?

_Knock knock._

"Come in," I said. The door slid open to reveal the man that I was just thinking about. Hatori's light-colored eye scanned my room before glancing down at me on the floor.

"Is everything alright?" he asked, still looking at me from the doorway. Willing for my barely-visible blush to go down, I looked away.

"Yeah," I mumbled, fiddling with my socks. Hatori watched me for a second.

"You're lying," he said clearly. I almost laughed.

"You're very perceptive. Ah… I guess I'm just thinking too far into things. That's all," I reassured, but frowned when he didn't look satisfied.

"There's more to it, Ichiru," he said firmly. I could tell that he wasn't going to give in any time soon. I smiled sincerely up at him.

"It's really nothing. Thank you for being concerned," I said quietly. Trying to change the subject, I asked, "Have the idiots left yet?" Hatori groaned almost inaudibly.

"I came up here as soon as they left."

He said "as soon as they left", but I could tell that he meant "once I forced them out". I chuckled lowly.

"You care very much for them, don't you?" I inquired. Hatori stood silent before closing my door and sitting in my desk-chair.

"You could say that."

I smiled to myself.

"It's very comforting to have those bonds, isn't it?"

I meant for it to be a rhetorical question, but Hatori nodded all the same.

Sighing softly, I stood up, "Would you like me to help you with dinner?"

Hatori smiled (just a bit) and stood as well. He ruffled my hair, then patted my shoulder.

"You can if you'd like. What should we make?" he asked. I thought for a moment. Chikane was studying in her room for a huge chemistry exam she had missed because of a cold. She'd probably be at her desk all night, knowing her barely adequate grades in chemistry. It's odd how that was her only weak subject.

"We should make some finger-foods. Chikane doesn't really have any time to sit down at the table and eat," I said, trying to hide the sisterly pride I felt towards my twin. She's so dedicated.

Hatori looked at me skeptically.

"Is this another scam to get me to make ootoro(6)?"

I burst out laughing.

"O-Of course not! Hahaha!"

Hatori seemed surprised but smiled genuinely. My laughter died down and was replaced with a deep blush spreading across my cheeks. I grinned sheepishly in his direction, the blush reaching my ears.

"You look like a tomato."

I spluttered.

"…N-Nani(7)?"

Hatori smirked.

"Your face is as red as a tomato."

I gaped up at the man.

"You're terrible! The _**definition**_ of terrible!(8)"

Oooh, translations~

(1) "Cute~!"

(2) "Scary, scary~!"

(3) It's a bit difficult to explain, so I'll copy the description from Shugo Chara! volume 7.

"A _kotatsu_ is a table with a blanket over it and a heat generator attached to it. It's used to keep one's feet warm."

(4) "U-Um…"

(5) I'm going by his color scheme in the manga. In the anime, his eyes are bronze. In the manga, his eyes are purple/lilac.

(6) Fatty tuna on sushi rice.

(7) "W-What?"

(8) My favorite line of Machi's from the last chapter of the manga. I'm such a diehard Yuki/Machi fan~! :heart:

REVIEWS ARE REWARDED WITH LOVE OF EPIC PROPORTIONS~


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